A week ago my sister read one of the readings for the Carol Service at her local church – she was given one of the readings from the Old Testament to read – it might even have been the one … Continue reading →

I seem to have spent last week turning off the radio because I just can’t bear to hear any more about it all. Now you might think I’m talking about Boris, Jeremy and the elections – but I’m not. I’ve … Continue reading →

In Spring 1947 a shepherd stumbled into a hidden cave as he was tracking down a lost goat.  It was just south of Jericho and very near to the River Jordan where John the Baptist was baptising 2000 years ealier. … Continue reading →

Over the years kings have not been very good to us.   George IV spent more money on decorating his Brighton Pavillion and wining and dining his friends than the whole of Brighton spent in a decade.  Victoria was grumpy and … Continue reading →

Don’t tease the parrot.  The parrot lived in the zoo.   It was not really a zoo – it was just a little corner of the garden surround by pretty flowers – an oasis of peace and a place to relax … Continue reading →

The apostles said to Jesus, “Make our faith greater.” people still ask  ‘Why did God let this happen to me’  – and when they do it’s never the right time to give the answer. You see, the fact that people … Continue reading →

I started with a joke last week, so I thought I’d try another one this week. There was a very rich man who was deeply trouble about not being able to take his money with him when he died.  So, … Continue reading →

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners May I speak … An anglican died and went straight to heaven.  When she arrived at the pearly gates St Peter was there to meet her with a whole choir of … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago someone asked me what I thought about the three Kings.  I had to admit that I don’t believe in them – I don’t think there were three of them for a start, I don’t think … Continue reading →

what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him Today’s easter story is an odd one.  It’s one thing the risen Jesus appearing mysteriously to … Continue reading →

2 Kings 2:1-12  •  Psalm 50:1-6  •  2 Corinthians 4:3-6  •  Mark 9:2-9 Over the next few weeks I want to do something a bit different for Lent.  Instead of sermons about temptation, discipline and the cross, – the normal sermons for Lent … Continue reading →

Proverbs 8:1, 22-31 Psalm 104:26-27 Colossians 1:15-20 John 1:1-14. Christianity is weird.  Most religions just believe in God and believe that good people go to heaven and bad people don’t. But Christianity’s weird.  We believe in God,– but we say … Continue reading →

Genesis 1:1-5  • Psalm 29  • Acts 19:1-7  • Mark 1:4-11 You are my child, the beloved with you I am well pleased? Aren’t they words every child longs to hear from their mother or father or from the person who looks after … Continue reading →

Isaiah 40:1-11  • Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13  • 2 Peter 3:8-15a   • Mark 1:1-8 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid  41 As Jesus … Continue reading →

Isaiah 64:1-9  • Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19  • 1 Corinthians 1:3-9  • Mark 13:24-37 So Christmas is here. Christmas trees are up – Santa’s in his grotto – Christmas cards are starting to arrive and across the country supermarkets are filling their shelves with … Continue reading →

Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 and Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11  • Matthew 25:14-30   25:30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ That’s probably not how you … Continue reading →

Micah 3:5-12 and Psalm 43  •  1 Thessalonians 2:9-13  •  Matthew 23:1-12 Call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father–the one in heaven.   That’s a very tricky Bible quote if you have Fr Paul written on the … Continue reading →

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 and Psalm 1  • 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8  • Matthew 22:34-46   Once upon a time people loved God but they didn’t love their neighbour.  Nowadays people love their neighbour but they don’t love God.   In spite of Jesus’s command, … Continue reading →

  Isaiah 45:1-7 and Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13)  • 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10  • Matthew 22:15-22 So who exactly were the Herodians?  If you google them or open your bible commentary you will read that they were a political sect which supported King Herod … Continue reading →

  Isaiah 25:1-9 and Psalm 23  • Philippians 4:1-9  • Matthew 22:1-14   A Sermon for Matilda’s baptism Which of you, if your daughter asks for bread, will give her a stone? or if your son asks for a fish, will give … Continue reading →

  Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 and Psalm 25:1-9  • Philippians 2:1-13  • Matthew 21:23-32 As Donald Rumsfeld once said, There are ‘known, knowns’; ‘known unknowns’; ‘unknown knowns’, and ‘unknown unknowns’, and today’s parable is a bit like that.   There’s one son who says … Continue reading →

  Jonah 3:10-4:11 and Psalm 145:1-8  • Philippians 1:21-30  • Matthew 20:1-16   Jonah and the whale is such a favourite story – action, shipwrecks, animals, -– perfect for Sunday Schools and All age services …. and second only to Noah’s Ark … Continue reading →

Genesis 50:15-21 and Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13  • Romans 14:1-12  • Matthew 18:21-35 So who needs guilt when you’ve got the Bible?   The Bible is guaranteed to make us all feel guilty about wicked things we have done, or thought about doing, or … Continue reading →

1 Kings 19:9-18 and Psalm 85:8-13  • Romans 10:5-15  • Matthew 14:22-33   For many people, it seems to be a very simple choice – it’s either science or religion.  Either you believe in a rational world which can be explained and … Continue reading →

My aunty Kath has a fabulous figure and she dresses amazingly.  She is my mother’s younger sister and she lives in Leeds.  She likes her jewelry – and she wears lots of it – big gold bling.  She has big … Continue reading →

Isaiah 55:10-13 and Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-13  •  Romans 8:1-11  •  Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 I thought I would preach a sermon about sex.  After all that’s what the General Synod of the Church of England has been talking about for the whole of … Continue reading →

Sunday 9th July – Festival of Angels weekend. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. We all have our favourite story about angels in the Bible.  The Christmas … Continue reading →

Genesis 22:1-14 and Psalm 13  • Romans 6:12-23  • Matthew 10:40-42 Be honest -  today, if a man took his son up a high mountain, tied him to a stone and threatened to kill him with a large knife, we would ask … Continue reading →

  Genesis 18:1-15,  Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19  • Romans 5:1-8  • Matthew 9:35-10:8, What a terrible week – what dreadful times we seem to be living through.  Not just the tragedies, that’s bad enough – but the anger, the hatred, the fear.   What … Continue reading →

What do you think God is like?  When you think of God, when you pray, when you come to church – who do you see?  Jesus? Spirit? a creator who looks like an old man with a beard?  Or do … Continue reading →

If you look at old paintings of the Ascension, you can sometimes see Jesus’s little feet just sticking out of the clouds as the disciples look up.  And if you are lucky enough to visit the Mount of Olives you … Continue reading →

Sunday 21st May Acts 17:22-31  • Psalm 66:8-20  • 1 Peter 3:13-22  • John 14:15-21 Last week I was in Jerusalem co-leading a pilgrimage for the Bishop of Chicago.  It was a hot 38 degrees in the shade – the pilgrims were good … Continue reading →

Sunday 7th May Acts 2:42-47  • Psalm 23  • 1 Peter 2:19-25  • John 10:1-10 Imagine losing a child in a crowded street.  Imagine the sense of panic, the dizzy head as you frantically look around. Imagine the thumping heartbeat and the tension … Continue reading →

Ezekiel 37:1-14  • Psalm 130  • Romans 8:6-11  • John 11:1-45 The problem with Lazarus is that everyone who lives and believes in me will never die is not true. Jesus may have brought Lucky Lazarus back to life – but since then … Continue reading →

Colossians 3:12-17 Punk, goth, hipster or just classic, the clothes we wear say something about us. A high-visibility fluorescent yellow jacket gives added protection to a cyclist or makes a police officer more visible. The surgeon’s sterile blue theatre clothes … Continue reading →

Exodus 17:1-7  •  Psalm 95  •  Romans 5:1-11  •  John 4:5-42 She met  Jesus when she was getting water at the well, but it might have well have been the frozen veg. aisle in the supermarket.  She was busy and … Continue reading →

Exodus 17:1-17, Psalm 95, Romans 5 : 1-11, John 4 : 5-42 Rabbi Poupko, of the Chicago board of rabbis, told a group of priests I was with in Jerusalem that being Jewish is about flesh and blood.  Whether a … Continue reading →

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Psalm 32 verses 1-7 Romans 5:17-19     Matthew 4:1-11 Life decisions are hard to get right. We can be tempted by difficult choices as well as by easy ones. We can be tempted to stay at home as … Continue reading →

Exodus 24 : 12 – 18        Psalm 99 : 5 – 9     2 Peter 1 : 16 – 21     Matthew 17:1-9 At first they were thrilled – then they were afraid – and then they were told not to … Continue reading →

Genesis 1:1-12, 24-end, 2:1-3   Psalm 136:1-9,23   Romans 8:18-25   Matthew 6:25-end Why do wolves hunt baby gazelles? In the beginning, when God created the world, it was very good. So why did God let it get out of hand? Why … Continue reading →